GEARY COUNTY, Kan. (WIBW) -- A deputy with the Geary County Sheriff’s Department and two other people were sent to the hospital on New Year’s Eve following an accident on Interstate 70 in snowy conditions.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol’s Online Crash Log, the collision happened at 1:33 PM on I-70 West near mile marker 292, three miles west of Junction City.

Reports state that Geary County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Rickenbrode, 45, was stopped in the right lane of I-70 in his patrol car, a 2010 Crown Victoria, with his lights on when a 2005 Chevy Impala drove up behind him and struck the back of his vehicle.

Rickenbrode was injured and sent to Geary County Community Hospital. Officials say the deputy experienced pain in his neck and shoulders and indicated that he was providing traffic control for another accident when he was hit by the Impala.

Behind the wheel of the Impala was Nancy Meade, 59, of Abilene, who was also injured and taken to Geary Community Hospital along with a passenger, Altha Brewster, 82, also of Abilene.

According to the KHP crash log site, another accident happened at the same location a few minutes earlier at 1:15 PM.

A 1998 Ford Expedition was westbound on I-70 and lost control due to icy conditions and entered the north ditch, traveled up an embankment, rolled back down and re-entered the roadway, coming to rest on its wheels.

The driver, Sandra Soto, 37, of Goodland, and several passengers were taken to Geary Community Hospital with possible injuries. The passengers included Jose Hernandez, 38, of Goodland, Ariadne Hernandez, 14, of Goodland, and Viridiana Soto, 25, of Goodland.

Another passenger, six-year-old Alvaro Soto of Goodland, was taken to the hospital with disabling injuries, reports state.

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